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ResourcesVisa & Immigration LawThailand Immigration LawWaiting Until the Last Day of Amnesty to Get a Thai Visa Is a Bad Idea

Waiting Until the Last Day of Amnesty to Get a Thai Visa Is a Bad Idea

Transcript of the above video:

As we are coming into the "home stretch" of the Thai Immigration Amnesty, I am hearing and I have seen this a lot in correspondence, I have heard it over the phone recently, folks basically saying "what is the absolute last day I have to make a choice or to get a visa?", "when is my deadline?" is what people seem to be looking for. 

I am making this video to tell those folks and to tell anybody who has issues or is looking to get a Thai Visa, to extend their lawful status past the end of the Amnesty or convert into some sort of status or seek some sort of accommodation with Thai Immigration to provide further Amnesty benefits after basically or specifically the date of September 26th, 2020 when the amnesty is slated to end.

If you are trying to look for the absolute last day you have to make a call on this that is a bad move. I just simply don't think it is prudent to be looking at this in that way. If you have options and you think you want to be in Thailand or there is a preponderance of belief in your mind that you are going to be staying past the 26th of September, you need to get lawful status. It is not a good idea to wait. This is a fluid situation. The plenary nature of Thai Immigration is such that the adjudicating officer's decision is made on the day. So if you are dealing with trying to get your status worked out early when there is not a huge rush of people trying to fix their status at the same time, you may be dealing with a more amenable officer, an officer who has more time to review your case, look at the circumstances of your case and go ahead and make a decision in kind of a I won't say laid back but in a less rushed manner. That may bode better for you. In fact I will say with a great deal of certainty having dealt with Thai Immigration for a number of years in many different contexts, you want to be dealing with an Officer who does not feel overwhelmed. You want to be dealing with someone who can, in a relaxed manner, review your case and make a determination. It is not a good idea to wait till the last minute and if you are still ruminating over your Visa options at this late stage in the game, if you have options it is probably a good idea to go ahead and "pull the trigger" and make a decision as to what you want to do with respect to your longer-term visa status which will last outside and past the Amnesty window that has been created by Thai Immigration in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.